Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

When Covid rules prevented Father Christmas from visiting the children in the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital for a second year running, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and charity, the Archie Foundation, found a way for him to at least reach the windows of the upper floor wards - using a truck mounted rescue platform from the Aberdeen City Fire Station - while local businesses rallied to the cause and provided presents.

Archie’s chief executive Paula Cormack said: “While it’s not what we would hope, and we weren’t able to do the full in-person visit it was every bit as special and incredibly emotional to see all of the children waving from the window. Their smiling faces and the fantastic image we have of little Casey high-fiving Santa really just showed how much it means to children and their families facing the Christmas period in hospital.” Kris Malcom of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service added: “The Covid restrictions meant that we couldn’t do our usual visit from Santa to deliver gifts, but we really wanted to do something for the children and their families during this difficult time.

The kids were so excited to see Santa, it was really heart-warming experience for us all.” The Archie Foundation helps children and families across the north of Scotland, funding specialist roles and projects at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Highland Children’s Unit, Tayside Children’s Hospital and Dr Gray’s Hospital, Elgin. It also cares for bereaved children who have lost a loved one. To find out more about its work, visit www.archie.org or if you are feeling generous - https://archie.org/donate.